The Honeymooners
by Earthling
Summary: *Sequel to A Step Further* It's been two years, Luka's back from the Congo and he and Ria finally get to go on a honeymoon! (1st 4 chps back story)
1. Default Chapter

Unbreakable  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
"Luka, look!" Dr. Luka Kovak looked up from the reports he was studying. Ria and Ailleen were on the floor behind him, and he twisted in his seat to look. One small, pudgy foot lifted, then fell, and another small pudgy foot lifted and fell beside it. Ailleen had taken her first step!  
  
"Come on!" Ria encouraged her 15 month old enthusiasticly, "Come to Mommy!" The baby gurgled happily and took another dubious step. Caroline and Frederic had turned around in the couch to watch the spectacle and were encouraging their young cousin with soft whispers in Croatian. Luka watched as she took another step, about a foot away from her mother, and lost her balance. She tumbled to the floor, right onto her bum, and looked up at him. He rose and swooped her off the floor.   
  
"There's my baby!" he told her, "You did such a good job!" He swirled her around in the air before bringing her back down to rest on his chest. Caroline and Frederic were clapping and horraying from their perch on the couch. His wife got up off the floor and stretched to kiss her daughter on the cheek. Luka shifted his daughter to his other arm and brought Ria closer with his free arm, planting a kiss firmly on her lips. She smiled up at him and he could see his own happiness reflected in her eyes.   
  
Caroline and Frederic seemed to be happy too, a blessing to Luka's way of thinking. The transition to an Enlish speaking world had not been easy for them, but with the dilligent help of their Aunt, the paitent teachers at their school, and their recently returned American friend Gregory Phillips, they seemed to have adjusted well, despite the tragedy they had endured not three months after they'd moved. A shudder threatened to tremble through him at the thought of Laila, the girl he had reffered to his wife for psychological care. She had shot Ria in the shoulder, and then killed herself, in the front room of their old apartment. They were now residing in John Carter's grandmother's mansion, a fact that was very obviously beginning to bother his dear wife. She kept egging him to take some time off to help her find a suitable house, but Kerry and Romano had him schedualed for every waking hour it seemed, and some sleeping hours. When they did find time to look for something, they were met with depressing results. They wanted a house that would accomadate the "large" family that Ria wanted, and also that she could work out of, and also that wasn't too far from the hospital, AND was close to some sort of elementary and secondary school. And they couldn't afford the mansion they currently accupied. Carter had been extremely gracious after "The Tragedy" by letting them stay in his grandmother's house, and for two months Ria allowed it. But after her shoulder had healed appropriately, she had insisted on paying rent, which she did over Luka and Carter's objections. She had started taking care of her paitents again at that time too, again over Luka's objections, and so felt they could afford it.   
  
The phone rang, and Caroline hurried to pick it up. Luka duitifully handed Ailleen back to Ria as he resumed his place at the table to continue his work.  
  
"It's Maria" Caroline informed them all, one hand over the reciever, " She wants to know if I can come over" Luka watched, mildly amazed, as Ria put the still gigling newly christened tottler in her crib and moved to the stove where she was about to start making their evening meal.  
  
"Did you do all of your homework?" she asked as she crossed the room.   
  
"Yes" Caroline answered hopefully.  
  
"After dinner, then, for a couple hours" she answered and their niece excitedly relayed that information to her friend on the other end of the phone. Luka pondered the almost overly domesticated scene and wondered how he ever got to this part of his life without having a mental breakdown. Ria turned around, a knowing smile on her face that said "You didn't" and then returned her attention to her cooking. Luka sometimes wondered if she was telepathic, the way she picked up on people's thoughts and feelings so well, and always seemed to know how to handle them. He smiled to himself, and went back to his work. 


	2. Backstory

Unbreakable  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
  
  
"What is the matter with you?!" Kerry yelled in a whisper. She had shoved Luka into the locker room after he had exploded at one of the nurses. Luka pounded a fist into a locker in frustration. Just then Abby erupted in, and halted. She looked as if she couldn't decide whether to stay or go.  
  
"It's Ria" Luka said, leaning his forehead against a locker. Abby decided to stay.   
  
"What about Ria?" she asked, moving to stand between Kerry and Luka. Luka turned around and flopped on the couch, pushing both hands through his hair.   
  
"I don't know. She's getting frustrated with.....our living conditions"   
  
"I thought you were living at Carters" Kerry said.  
  
"They are" Abby confirmed.   
  
"That's the whole problem!" Luka cried, "She wants her own house, not that I can blame her, but we just don't have the money!" Abby sat down beside him. He looked at her but all he saw was more questions in her eyes.  
  
"She's mad at me" he finally confessed, "She won't even speak to me except to answer questions or tell me something about the kids.It's awful. Never, never get Ria mad at you" he said, "All that stubborness and sixth sense turns against you. It's like hitting a brick wall"   
  
"Maybe I should talk to her. Maybe she doesn't realize how much it's bothering you." Abby suggested. Luka gave her a withering look, and she realized how dumb that must've sounded to him. Ria always knew exactly what she was doing, and exactly how it affected everyone around her. She couldn't think of anything else to suggest however, so she stood up. She had to get back out to work.   
  
"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, okay?" she said and left. Kerry just stood there for a moment, staring down at a man she had always thought of as independent, and now seemed to be dependent on one single woman. She could sympathize, but she had a duty to the hospital and it's paitents.   
  
"Take the rest of the day off, Luka" she told him, "Go find a house for your wife"   
  
Luka sighed and got his coat. He was brooding and sulking over his own sorry state as he left the ER. So, he was surprised to feel a strong hand on his shoulder, pulling him to a stop.   
  
"Did you suddenly go deaf?" his friend, John Carter asked, "I must've yelled your name six times!"  
  
"Sorry" Luka mumbled, searching his pocket for his keys.   
  
"Emm...listen, I think I found a house for you" Luka's head snapped up.   
  
"If you can wait a couple minutes, I'll take you down so you can see it" Carter said, already on his way back into the ER. Luka nodded and got into his own car to wait. He wondered what Carter had in store for him. 


	3. Backstory

Unbreakable  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
  
"All I'm saying is maybe you're being a little hard on him" Abby said, throwing a box of ceral into Ria's cart.She saw ice peaking through her amazing violet/green eyes. Ria was very young, barely 27 now, but Abby knew not to take her for granted. Ria was one of the strongest women, strongest person, she'd ever known.   
  
"Perhaps" the young mother said, taking a box from Ailleen's waving hands, "But I can't stand it anymore. Not that the house isn't beautiful, and not that I don't sincerly appreciate Carter's generosity, but I want my own house for goodness sakes! Do you think the kids would like this?" Abby glanced over and saw Ria was holding a can of "unsweetened condensed yams" and laughed.   
  
"I don't think so!" she chuckled and Ria put the can back with a smile of her own.   
  
"Anyway, is that too much to ask? Is it too much to ask that I see my husband more than an hour a night before bed, or that he take some time to come see his own kids acomplishments at school?" The whole conversation had started with the arts fair that both Caroline and Frederic had placed in at school, which Luka had been unable to attend because he'd been at work.   
  
"The ER is demanding work. It's not a nine to five job, Ria" Abby tried to defend her friend's husband, "Does Ailleen prefer peas or carrots?"   
  
"Peas" the child's mother answered, as she purused the jarred baby food,"I know that. It's just...well....frustrating is all. I don't know, maybe it's me"   
  
"Maybe" Abby said, and felt the brunt of the cold glare in Ria's eyes for a second before her friend realized that she was joking, then she laughed. Abby wondered for just a second, if maybe, it really was just Ria.   
  
*In a different part of the city...*  
  
"It's huge!" Luka exclaimed as they climbed the steps to the old house. Carter grinned back at him and pulled out the keys.   
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring you last week" he said, "We got that car crash in the ER, and things didn't slow down till Sunday" Luka only nodded his understanding. He' d been somewhat dissapointed, and had had to face another week of coldness from his beloved wife. They reached the top of the stairs and Carter opened the door. The house was situated in the middle of a busy commercial area, the only house on the block, and it was snuggled in between two office buildings. It was an old house, looking like it had probably been the height of fashion in the mid 1800's, but it was impressive. As they entered, Luka noted that it was just as impressive inside as out. The foyer alone was the size of his old apartment's entire downstairs area. Huge mirrors hung on either wall between two sets of heavy wooden doors with ornate carvings depicting a garden. A single unlit chandelier hung from the slightly domed cealing, which Carter flicked on. He pushed the first set of doors on the left open and led Luka into the first room. It had probably been a sitting room at one time, with a large window seat that looked out onto the busy street and victorian sette's lining the walls. It opened up into another room, much larger, which the second left hand doors opened into. They moved into that room and Luka noticed it seemed a bit more modern. A fireplace sat in the middle of the left hand wall, while the back wall seemed to be made entirely of a sliding glass door. A bar type counter seperated a large modern kitchen from the empty room, and Luka noticed a spiraling staircase in the back corner of the kitchen.   
  
"Come on, I'll show you the rest" Carter said (and his voice seemed to echo in the enormity) and Luka followed him through the wooden doors, across the foyer, and into the right part of the house. In this room, Luka could see how aged the house really was. The carpet was thin and holed in places, and the wall paper was faded and peeling. A wall was on his direct left with a door on the left and a staircase leading up on the right. The room extended to the front of the building where another window seat looked out into the daylight.   
  
"The door goes out into a laundry room, which opens into the garage" Carter indicated the door, then started up the steps.   
  
"There's two more floors. The second has three bedrooms and a full bathroom, and the third has four smaller bedrooms and another full bathroom. There's a half bath down behind the kitchen too." he told Luka as he guided him up the stairs. They looked into each room, and Luka found more evidence of age, but all in all everything seemed perfect. As they decended the stairs, Luka realized it was pretty centralized as well, close to Caroline and Frederic's school and not to far from work. Plus, it was big enough that Ria could run her own practice out of it.   
  
"It's almost too good to be true" he said aloud to his friend who was locking the door again.  
  
"It's about to get better" Carter answered, "I own it. I didn't know it until just recently. Gamma's lawyer found the deed under a stack of papers. It needs some work, but I bet the rent wouldn't be too high" Luka was literally reeling with the good news, "I'll even let it go towards buying it" Now all Luka could do was shake his head at his good fortune.   
  
"I don't know what to say" he said. Carter clapped him on the back.  
  
"Say, 'Ria, I found us a house!'" 


	4. More Backstory

Unbreakable  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
Luka and Carter teetered their way up the steep stairs to the second floor. The renevation had been completed, not that there had been too much to do, and the Kovak family was moving into their new home. All except Ria, who was at work, and still unaware of their new home. Luka had had the left had wall to the foyer knocked out. He had kept the huge mirror and the heavy wooden doors, sure that Ria wouldn't want to throw them out. Actually, he hadn't had much of any decorating done. The carpet had all been stripped up, which had revealed hard wooden floors in most of the house and beautiful marble in the foyer. He had went ahead and let Caroline and Frederic dictate the decorating of thier rooms, so at least that was done, but he had no idea what Ria would want done with the rest of the house. So, he'd just had the walls patched up, some of the plumbing and electricity updated a bit, and new windows put in. He had the outside repainted, a deep burgandy color for the stone, and a deep but bright blue for the shudders and trimming. Carter had grimaced when he saw it, but Luka (as well as Caroline and Frederic) thought it was very nice indeed.   
  
Luka, Carter and Abby (with occasional help from Galant and Susan) had been moving the family in for a week now, between school and work and keeping Ria occupied. Today they had brought in the final touches, and Luka looked forward to the family sleeping in their new home tonight. He now appreciated everything Ria did to keep their lives organized because for the past week he had been the one running everything, which wasn't especially easy with everything that was going on. He had managed though, with ample amounts of help and encouragment from his teenage niece and nephew.   
  
The two men put the table they'd been carrying gently on the floor in the middle of the master bed room. Again, Luka had no idea what Ria would do later, but for now Abby and Susan had been organizing all the arranging.   
  
"Susan, do you think the table should stay in the middle of the room or should we put it against a wall?" Abby asked the other woman, who was spreading blankets over the bed. The table was round and so wouldn't easily fit against a wall, but Luka would leave it up to his female companions.   
  
"Nah, leave it in the middle of the room. It's small enough" Susan answered, smoothing a last wrinkle out of the bed spread. She put her hands on her hips and turned around.  
  
"Well, that's it then, huh?" The four adults looked about, trying to see if there was anything left to be done, but they found nothing. Caroline walked in, carrying Ailleen and a bottle, and nodded approvingly. The room was large. Their king size bed snuggled against the left wall, shoved up against the back wall. The table now sat in the middle of the room, and Ria's desk sat against the back wall behind it, looking out the giant window on the street below.. To the right were the rocking chair and love seat situated in front of the TV, and the dresser set was against the "front wall" to the right of the door. Beyond that a small walkway led to the bathroom and walk in closet. Caroline and Frederic had chosen two rooms on the third floor, which each had large vistas of their enclosed back yard and shared a bathroom. The third room on the third floor wasn't connected to that bathroom, but there was hallway access to it. Luka thought they would eventually move Ailleen upstairs, leaving the remaining two rooms on the second floor for the children Ria was still planning on having. The remaining room (on the third floor) he had no idea what to do with.   
  
"Well, if that's all, we might as well go get Ria then" Luka said. She would be thrilled with her surprise, Luka knew.   
  
"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Abby asked. Luka thought about it a moment.   
  
"Perhaps I'd better take one of the kids," he said, "Just so she won't get suspicous?" Frederic popped his head in, followed by Gregory.  
  
"We'll go!" he said hopefully. Luka nodded happily and they all went to Carter's. Ria was awake and ready to leave. Frederic and Gregory tried to distract her during the ride, though they occasionaly let out what Luka could only term a "giggle" though he hesitated to label any male's laughs as such. But nothing much got past Ria, even simple directions.  
  
"Luka Kovak, what in the world is going on?" she asked abrasivly, "This isn't the right way, where are we going?" Fortunately, she'd had the good sense not to ask that question until they'd arrived. (Whether or not she had done so on purpose or not Luka never did quite figure out)  
  
"We're going here" he said with a laugh and lifted her out of the car. The boys piled out behind her, barely containing their glee. He carried her up the stairs, stepped aside to let Frederic in front of him, and then said:  
  
"Ria Kovak, welcome home!" The door swung open and there was Abby, Carter, Galant, Susan, Caroline and Ailleen waiting for them in the foyer.  
  
"SURPRISE!" they shouted, startling Ailleen. The little girl let out a squeal of joy at the sight of her mother however and struggled to get out of her cousin's confining hands.   
  
"Ma! Ma! Pa! Ma!" she shouted at the top of her very small lungs. Luka could see the enthralling joy on his wife's face as he set her down on her own two feet. Her daughter finally broke free and ran across the smooth marble floors as fast as her very small legs would churn. Ria knelt down, very slowly, and accepted her rambuncious daughter's embrace.   
  
"Welcome home, Aunt Ria!" Caroline greeted her, and Luka was privaleged to see tears of joy in the young mother's eyes.   
  
"Welcome home, Ria" Abby and Carter and Susan chorused.  
  
"Glad to see you feeling better, Mrs. Kovak" Galant added.   
  
"Well?" Luka asked. Ria stood. He could see the supreme happiness glowing in her eyes.   
  
"What do you want to see first?" She smiled up at him.  
  
"Everything!" 


	5. Luka's Return

The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
AN: This is a continuation of the story called "A Step Further" and before that, "Mrs. Kovac?" If names are misspelled, deal with it. Also, this story contains some..ahem...adult interludes. Be warned.  
  
A year later.....  
  
Luka turned the knob and stepped into his house. He heard the cab drive away behind him, and somewhere a car honked loudly. Luka winced at the noise. He shut the door behind himself. It was dark. All of the shades had been pulled so not even any of the harsh light from the street lamps outside shone in to help him. He took a cautious step forward and immediately tripped over something. In the dark he couldn't see what it was. He decided the safest way to the stairs was through the kitchen. He set his bags down and headed that way. The stairs were dark too, but he knew there would be nothing to trip on except his own feet as he made his way up. He was relieved to find a small night light was lit in the hallway, even though there were no dangerous impediments laying in his path. He made his way quietly passed closed doors to the one he wanted. He opened it carefully, glad when it didn't squeak. He moved into the room and closed the door. Soft moonlight poured in the glass doors that led to the balcony, though they were covered with thin, gauzy drapes that he didn't recognize. Something else was different about the room, but he couldn't place it just now. And he didn't care to think about it too much. He bent and pulled his shoes off, then his shirt. He removed his belt, but figured his worn kahkis were just as comfortable as anything else. Finally, he let himself turn and look at the bed. There was a large lump in the blankets. Well, not large. It had never been truly large. Moonlight reflected off long, curly chesnut hair, and highlighted high cheeckbones and closed eyelids, the perfectly shaped lips slightly open. The delicate chin and neck were hidden beneath the covers. Luka pulled a deep breath in, relishing the sight. Her scent permeated the air and for a moment he just stood there, feeling her presence. His heart tightened in his chest and he just wanted to be near her, touch her. He tried hard not to rock the bed as he pulled the covers back and slid in beside her, but to no avail. His wife was far to attunded to him to stay asleep. He was facing her as her brillant violet eyes opened and her lips curved in a smile.   
"I smelled you the minute you came in the house" she whispered.  
"Ria" he moaned and drew her closer to him under the blanket. He just sighed. Her warm body fit perfectly against his, and it felt sooooo good, so right, to just hold her. She tilted her head up and looked deep into his eyes, then drew his head down to hers and kissed him hungrily, wantonly. She let him up to catch his breath, but didn't let her lips get more than a millimeter away from his. Both of her hands were on his chest, palms splayed out over each side. His hands were over her ears, his finger twirled up in her hair that she had, for some reason, not put into a french braid tonight. Luka rolled her onto her back, so he was hovering over her.   
"I missed you soooo much" she whispered against his lips, and Luka felt her need for him almost as strong as his need for her. God, why in the world had he stayed away so long? He crushed his lips on to hers savagely and she moaned her pleasure.  
  
She rubbed her cheek up against his chest, her soft body molded to his, much later as the ambitious rays of sunlight started to peek over the horizon outside. The blanket had been shed and only a thin sheet covered them, only up to the hip. Luka pulled it up higher, to her shoulder. He had one arm wrapped tightly around her waist, not able to tell where her skin ended and his began, and used the other to run his fingers through her thick hair. She was breathing contentlly, and Luka realized that she hadn't had any breathing problems since they moved into the house. Carter had found it for them, when Ria had finally gotten too proud to continue living in Carter's grandmother's house. She suddenly stiffened a bit in his arms, and his eyes flew open. She was looking up at him, and then pushed herself back a little to get a better look at his face. He immediately missed her closeness.  
"Luka" she started hesitantly, shy about the subject, "Do you know....this is the first time...we've....done this?" Luka was surprised to realize it was true. She'd already been pregnant when he'd "rescued" her. After that, she was too tired and sore from having Ailleen, then they'd gone to Croatia to get Caroline and Frederic, and she'd been so tired taking care of them and Ailleen and renevating the house that she just fell asleep every night. Besides which, Ailleen had been sleeping in the room. That's when he realized what was different about the room.  
"Where's Ailleen?" he asked, knowing he surprised her with a slight change of subject.   
"I moved her into her own room" his wife answered proudly. And she had a right to be. Ailleen was almost two and a half now, plenty old enough to sleep on her own. But Ria had tried it before he'd gone, and had ended up retrieving her daughter before an hour was up.   
"Mmmmm.....I'm glad she wasn't here tonight" he told Ria, putting a soft kiss on her scrumptious lips. Then he realized something else. This had only been Ria's second time. It had only taken once for that bastard con artist "Ryan" to get her with Ailleen, and there had been no one else before. Luka was suddenly worried about if he had been gentle enough, considerate enough. Ria smiled, closing her eyes again, and snuggled back into him.  
"Mmmmm....I love you" she murmered into his chest, relieving all of his fears. 


	6. The Morning After

The Honeymooners  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
"Uncle Luka!" Caroline shrieked and tumbled into him, almost making him spill his coffee in her hair. She'd gotten taller since he'd been gone.   
"Hi!" he greeted her, "How are you?"   
"Uncle Luka!" This time the excited yell could not be termed a shriek, because it was much deeper. Luka was somewhat surprised. Frederic sounded just like his dad.   
"Frederic, how did things go while I was gone?" he asked the young man, who was also growing rapidly. Caroline's sixteenth birthday was next month, and Frederic was nearing fifteen too. They were both dressed for school, of which Luka believed there was only a couple more days of.   
"Tell us about the Congo, Uncle Luka! What did you do? Was it hard? Was it hot? Was it stinky? Did you meet any of those guerilla men?" They both attacked him with questions, and him with no shirt on and a half cup of coffee in his hand.   
"Whoa! Whoa! Aren't you guys going to be late for school?" he asked, peeling himself from between the two of them and setting his dangerous cup of very hot coffee down on the bar/counter.   
"When did you get back, Uncle Luka? You weren't supposed to be back for another 2 and a half weeks!" Caroline asked, ignoring his question. Luka laughed at her enthusiasm. Her english was much better, even since he left, about a month and a half ago, to do some work in the Congo again. Frederic's was noticably improved as well.   
"I got back last night" he answered, finding a box of cereal from a cupboard and putting it on the counter for them.  
"And you didn't wake us?!" Frederic asked indignantly, pulling two bowls down for he and his sister.  
"It was late" their Uncle replied.  
"Morning!" a cheerful greeting came from the stairs. Ria was coming down, wearing the top half of his pajamas and a pair of shorts that just peeked out underneath, pinning that lustrous hair of hers up.   
"Aunt Ria, Uncle Luka's home!" Frederic told her excitedly, obviously over looking the fact that the man was standing right there.  
"I know" Ria replied with a lazy smile, a smile Luka had never seen before. It made his insides twitch. She crossed the kitchen in her bare feet and he swung an arm around her as they kissed.  
"Morning" she said again, this time more quietly, more seductivly. Her breath was still sweet, despite it being morning.   
"Ailleen will be so excited!" Caroline said through a full mouth, obviously worried about the time now. Luka couldn't wait to see his youngest, sure she would have changed tremendously in the past 6 weeks, as children her age tended to do. He pulled the cup of tea he'd made for his wife out of the microwave and handed it to her. She blew on it and took a sip. The spring morning sunlight was shining through the sliding glass doors, highlighting her profile and the hair piled on top of her head like the moonlight had the night before. Her breasts lifted slightly as she brought the cup up to her mouth, and Luka was facinated by how the muscles in her delicate throat moved as she swallowed. He suddenly shook himself before anything could happen he might live to regret. He simply watched as Ria got the two older kids ready and out the door, where their friend Gregory was waiting for them.   
"Hey, Dr. Kovac, you're back!" the young man called from the sidewalk, spotting him before Ria could close the door. He waved back, not sure the boy would see.  
"Well, he certainly grew up" Luka said.   
"Hadn't you noticed?" Ria asked innocently as they made their way back to the family room and curled up on the couch. Luka had got tons of letters and pictures from the three members of his family that could write. Ria's handwriting was strong, but elegant, just like the woman herself. Carolines was....well girly in Luka's opinion, but easy to read. She had written mostly in English, suplimenting with Croatian when she couldn't figure out the English. Frederic had written mostly in Croatian, using English when he knew it. They had all sent pictures, Ria of Ailleen and the kids doing innocuous household things, the kids of their school play and sports games. He'd treasured each of the letters.   
They sat in the living room, not doing anything, for about half an hour before Luka realized Ria had fallen asleep. He didn't move, relishing the feel of her. He had two weeks with her before he had to get back to life. 14 days and, even better, 14 nights. Not to himself though, a pity. Then an idea struck him. Two and a half years, a little longer, they'd been married now. And they'd never gone on a honeymoon. A grave disjustice to Ria to be sure...yes. They needed a honeymoon. Now. While he had the time.   
As soon as she woke up that is. 


	7. Luka's Suggestion

The Honeymooners  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
  
"Papa! Papa! Papa!" the little girl ran across the kitchen floor on her wobbly legs, her curly black hair waving like a flag behind her. Luka swept her off her feet and up into his arms, high on his chest, so she ended up hugging his neck and throat rather than his torso. He pulled her away a little so she wouldn't inadvertantly choke him and doused her with little kisses all over her face.   
"Hello, sweet one" he said in Croatian. Ria thought it was a wonderful idea to teach her both languages so that she was bilingual. Ria herself didn't understand a word of it, but she was glad that Ailleen was picking up on it so quickly.   
"Have you been a good girl while Papa was gone?" he asked her. She bobbed her head up and down happily, her little black Shirley Temple curls bouncing, just like her mothers did when she nodded vigorously. Ailleen looked almost excactly like Ria, except for the raven hair that, oddly enough, looked just like Luka's. Her eyes were the same odd violet color, with flecks of green near the pupil, and she had the same eyes and nose as her mother. Even the curls. Especially the curls. And she was always happy, much like her mother.   
"Love Papa! Love Papa!" she replied in an odd Croatian accent. Hers was nowhere near as strong as Caroline's or Frederic's, but Ria said she was bound to have one, surrounded by three Croatian accented people as she was. Luka squeezed her tight in his arms.  
"I missed you! And Mamma, and Caro and Fred" he told her lovingly. She couldn't say their names all the way.  
"I love you so much" All this he said in Croatian and she understood every word. Luka was very proud of his daughter. She'd bumped her head pretty bad when she was just starting to talk more and he'd taken her to the ER to get looked over. He'd shown her off to all the nurses and even some of the patients, having her say differnent things in Croatian and then in English. They were all appropriately amazed.   
Ria put an arm around his waist and leaned her head against his arm.   
"The little thief" she said with a smile, "Trying to steal her Daddy from me" Ailleen looked down at her mother.   
"Pappa!" she said happily, and then, "Baby!" But she said it in Croatian.   
"Say it my way, Ailleen" her mother told her gently and so the baby repeated her request in English. When her mother had found the right doll, Ailleen wiggled out of her father's embrace and went to find a brush or something in one of her toy boxes.   
"I can't believe how much bigger she is" Luka said with amazement in his voice.   
"I know. She's growing up so fast" Ria agreed, leaning into him more. Even in Ailleen's room her scent permeated everything. Luka drank it in deeply, trying to erase the smell of rotten vegetation and dried blood from his nostrils.   
"Come on, Ailleen, we're going downstairs" she called to their daughter who bounced happily over to be carried down the steps by her mother. Ria pulled some things out of cupboards to start making what might be some kind of baked good when she was finished while they watched the toddler play by the fireplace. Luka took a seat just to watch, something he never got to do with his crazy work schedual. Ria had changed into some old jeans and a tie-dyed t-shirt that snugged her tummy at the bottom.   
"Ria, I was thinking" he said as she bustled around the kitchen, "I have a couple more weeks off still before I have to go back to work"  
"Why did you come home, anyway, Luka?" his wife asked with her head in the fridge.   
"Some French doctors showed up. They said I could come home" he told her, "But I was thinking. Since I have all that time off we should do something"  
"Like what? We could take the kids camping next weekend, they'll be out of school. I doubt they've ever been camping" Ria suggested, mixing something in a bowl at the counter.   
"No, I meant just you and I. We haven't been alone since before Ailleen was born" he replied.   
"Oh!" Ria looked excited about the idea, "Yeah! We could even go this weekend, Luka, I'm sure I could....."  
"Ria, Ria! I'm talking about a honeymoon! Not just a weekend. Longer" He reached across the counter and brushed his hand against her cheek, "Just us. Alone" Ria smiled tenderly at him, turning her head to kiss his fingers.  
"Luka, luv, that would be great. But we can't just pick up and go. I've got patients, and we'd have to find someone to watch the kids, and I just don't know anyone who could watch them that long, especially since Caroline and Frederic will be out of school, and...."  
"Ria, if we don't do it now who knows when we'll ever get the chance again!" Luka argued. He could see the little light in her eyes, the one that desperately wanted the romantic honeymoon, even if it was two and half years late. He knew that at heart she was a desperate romantic, even if she did things more practically for everyday life. But she did take chances, occasionally. If he could just talk her into it.......  
"Lovely woman," he said in Croatian, his pet name for her, then switched to English, " I want to take you on a honeymoon. Someplace romantic, like Hawaii or Jamaica or Venice. Where do you want to go?"   
"Venice sounds lovely..." her sentence trailed off and her eyes got dreamy. He almost had her.  
"But we can't afford that, and the kids..."   
"We'll take care of it! I'll find someone to watch the kids in the evenings, Caroline and Frederic are old enough to be by themselves for most of the day. And the money's nothing, we can do it" he assured her. She looked past him to Ailleen, playing on the floor with her doll. She sighed, still dreamy.   
"You're sure?" she whispered. He went around the counter and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her forehead.   
"I'm sure" 


	8. Abby Agrees

The Honeymooners  
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.   
  
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?  
"Abby, come on, I know you're great with kids. Please?"   
"Luka!" Abby whined, "What if Kerry finds out?"   
"You're not going to be in trouble, I will. What were you supposed to do, leave my kids on their own for two weeks?" Luka replied. Abby was the first person he'd called when he'd promised Ria that he'd find someone to watch the kids in the evenings while they were gone, someone she would trust.   
"Come on, you can sleep here, you can eat my food, all you have to do is be here in case something happens" He'd been careful to ask her what shift she was shecualed for for the next 10 days. Thankfully she'd said mostly day.   
"I don't know...." she said.  
"Please? Do it for Ria?" That got her. She loved Ria, they were great friends, and Abby was always saying how she needed to get out more and have some fun.   
"All right." she agreed grudgingly, "I'll do it. When do you guys leave?"   
"The day after tomorrow. Thank you Abby, Ria will love you" Luka told her.  
"Yeah, I'll bet." Abby answered.  
"You should've seen her when I suggested it. She got all dreamy eyed" Luka said.  
"Dreamy eyed? Ria?"   
"It's true, she's practically glowing."   
"Great. At least someone's going to be having fun" Abby said, "I'll come by tomorrow to talk to her. I'll see ya later"  
"All right. Thanks. Bye" Luka hung up the phone. Ria came in carrying a basket of laundry.  
"Abby said she'd do it" he told her. Ria's face lit up even more, if that was possible.  
"She did? Oh that's great! I'll call Cory and Delia and Mark tonight. Allison and Bart were already canceled for the next week, so I'll just leave messages that we won't get back together until a few days after that" she said, running through her list of paitents in her head as she put the basket down and started folding shirts.   
"Oh, I hope the kids won't mind. You did just get back after all" Luka hugged her from behind, she was always thinking of someone else.  
"They won't mind. It'll be great." he kissed her cheek, "I'll go call for tickets" He came back from her office 40 minutes later with a hotel room booked and two round trip tickets to Venice. Ria smiled and dished a fork full of something that smelled great into his mouth. Her favorite, fettacini alfredo with chicken.   
"Will you go get Ailleen up from her nap?" she asked as he chewed. So he went up the stairs to get is daughter.   
"Watch Eggie Tales?" she asked sleepily.  
"What?" Luka asked her mother.  
"Veggie Tales. There's tapes under the TV" she informed him. He set Ailleen on the floor and opened the cuboard. A stack of tapes teetered and fell out, all of them brightly colored in neon orange and green and yellow.   
"What is all of this?" he asked, searching for one that said "Veggie Tales" on it. There was Kipper and Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer, and even a Elmo tape, which was red. Finally he found a green one that was Veggie Tales and popped it in. He knew they'd had tapes for the toddler to watch before he'd left, Ria didn't want her watching regular TV, but he didn't remember having so many.   
"I got tired of the same three tapes over and over again" his wife said, rolling her eyes at the memory.   
"Oh" Luka found himself unsure of what to do next. He couldn't cook, and besides Ria already had dinner half ready, and she'd already cleaned the dishes away. He could help with laundry but he was afraid he'd ruin something Caroline needed for a big dance or something or that he'd put too much soap in and it would explode all over the laundry room. Some of Ailleen's toys were strewn across the family room, but he figured she'd want them when her tape (singing vegetables with no legs or arms?) was over.   
"Luka luv?"   
"Hmm?"  
"I bought some curtains for those empty rooms, but I'm too short to hang them. Will you do it for me?" Ria asked charmingly, like the dependant little wife in some sort of fairy tale. Luka would have laughed, but he knew she was serious so he just asked where they were and went to hang her curtains for her. 


End file.
